Tag reader

The present invention relates to a detector for detecting the presence/absence and/or nature of a security mark on an article.

In the field of product or document security it is known to place a machine readable mark on an article or its packaging, which mark can be read by a detector to identify the article and/or to verify the authenticity or otherwise of the article. Such a mark may typically be printed on the article, and may be invisible to the naked eye.

For example, there exist particularly sophisticated, complex inks which reliably emit radiation with certain characteristics under exposure to radiation in a certain frequency range. Such complex inks, which are by their nature difficult for counterfeiters to manufacture include inks known as taggant inks.

A taggant-ink marking on an article will, when exposed to appropriate radiation, exhibit behaviour of a certain signature or characteristic peculiar to that ink. For example, when the ink sample is irradiated by radiation at an “excitation” frequency, the ink sample will emit radiation, at an emission frequency, and will continue to do so after exposure to the excitation radiation has ceased. The emitted radiation, after excitation has ceased, decays in a known, repeatable manner which is unique to the particular taggant.

One example of taggant material, as used in such complex inks, comprises a base material of lattice structure which includes one or more rare-earth metal dopants. By varying the level of dopant, or the position of the dopant molecules within the lattice, it is possible to produce a range of taggant materials which exhibit different, but predictable and repeatable, emission characteristic when excited by a radiation source.

Typically a detector is used to provide the excitation radiation and then to detect emitted radiation to determine the presence/absence, and in certain cases the signature or characteristic, of ink on the article or its packaging.

The detector must therefore incorporate some form of radiation source, the frequency of which must be known, precise and reliably repeatable, and a detection mechanism which is able to detect the presence of emitted radiation of the appropriate frequency.

Such detectors are often used by operatives “in the field” to check consignments of articles in order to identify counterfeit articles.

Detectors used by operatives should advantageously be portable and easy to use.

Known detectors have several problems. Firstly, where emitted radiation to be measured is in the visible part of the spectrum, if the detector is not positioned accurately in relation to the article the ambient light can easily interfere with the detection process, giving inaccurate readings. Secondly, since the taggant ink may be invisible, the operative in the field may have difficulty positioning the article correctly so that the reading can be made.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a detector for detecting the presence/absence and/or nature of a security mark on an article, the detector comprising:

• • emitting means for emitting radiation,
  • detection means for detecting radiation,
  • and an article-locating portion for locating an article in use which article-locating portion comprises alignment means for ensuring that an article is aligned with the emitting means and/or the detection means.

The detector may comprise a body which preferably has first and second parts movable relative to each other between at least a first, closed configuration, and a second, open configuration wherein in the open configuration the article-locating portion is exposed and the detector is arranged to receive an article to be irradiated.

Preferably, the article-locating portion comprises a mounting surface, against which an article may rest in use, together with alignment means for ensuring that an article is aligned with the emitting means and/or the detection means.